teamsapphire: If It’s Such a Bad Time to Buy Real Estate, Why Are the Wealthy Doing It? - 11/22/22 11:27 AM

According to this Housing Wire article, 75% of people recently polled by Fannie Mae felt pessimistic about the real estate market, and that it’s not a good time to buy a house. So, if you’re among the many who feel that way, and you’re thinking about holding off for prices to come down, you’re not alone.
Considering that interest rates are up and prices haven’t dropped as much as buyers would like, it isn’t surprising to hear that news. Some marginally qualified potential homebuyers have legitimately been priced out of the market. But many others are simply being cautious, not wanting to make … (2 comments)

teamsapphire: Tips for Selling Your Home During a Recession - 11/22/22 11:19 AM

We’ve been in an unprecedented seller’s market for the better part of two years. But with talk of a looming recession, conversations around the real estate market are changing—and if you’re thinking about selling, it’s important to understand what that process will look like if a recession hits.
So, as a homeowner, what, exactly, do you need to know about selling during a recession?
A recent article from realtor.com outlined key tips sellers need to know to navigate the current market—and successfully sell their home in the case of an upcoming recession—including:
List sooner rather than later. While a recession may be looming in the near … (4 comments)

teamsapphire: 5 Shams and Scams You Should Be Leery of as a Homebuyer or Seller - 11/22/22 10:45 AM
At this point everyone knows not to fall for the email from a Nigerian prince promising to share his fortune with you if you just send him your banking information. After all, that scam has been around almost as long as the Internet has existed, and most people have seen it at least once!
But people don’t buy or sell a house all that often, so real estate scams and shams can be easy to miss to the untrained eye.
So let’s take a look at 5 things you should be leery of as a homebuyer or seller that may be an outright … (1 comments)

teamsapphire: Timeless Tips to Sell Your Condo in Any Market - 11/07/22 02:20 PM

When it comes to real estate, not all sales are created equal—and if you’re planning to sell a condo, there are tips and tricks you’ll want to use to make the sale as fast and profitable as possible.
So what, exactly, are those tips and tricks?
A recent article from realtor.com outlined selling tips for homeowners preparing to sell their condo, including:
Use appropriate comps to determine your pricing strategy. Looking at recent sales in an area is typically a great tool for determining how to price a property. And that’s especially true for condos—as other units that have recently sold in your complex are likely … (2 comments)

teamsapphire: Does the Cooling Market Mean You Can’t Still Get a Historically High Price for Your House? - 11/07/22 02:15 PM

If you’ve been thinking about selling your house, you’ve probably heard that the market’s cooling off, or “resetting” (as Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell, recently put it.) So you might be wondering if that means you won’t be able to get as much money for your house as your neighbors did a few weeks back.
On the other hand, there are still reports that house prices are still rising, like in this realtor.com article, which makes you wonder if you could actually get more money than they did!
So, what’s the truth?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to that question. Real estate functions on a very local level, and … (1 comments)

teamsapphire: Getting Ready to Buy a Home? Embrace These Healthy Home Buying Habits - 09/26/22 11:24 AM

If you want to buy a home, you need to be able to responsibly save and manage your finances, and that comes down to having the right habits.
So what, exactly, are the “right” habits if you’re trying to buy a home?
A recent video from realtor.com outlined the habits you’ll want to adopt if you’re planning on buying a home in the near future, including:
Set up weekly deposits. As mentioned, the quicker you save up for your down payment, the quicker you’ll be able to buy your home. If you want to speed up the process, set up a separate account for your down … (2 comments)

teamsapphire: These DIY Home Improvements Can Make a Negative Impression on Potential Buyers - 09/26/22 11:19 AM

Many homeowners enjoy changing, updating, and renovating their homes—and many enjoy tackling those changes, updates, and renovations themselves.
But if you’re planning on selling in the future, it’s important to recognize that potential buyers might not be as impressed with your DIY handiwork as you are.
So, what are some of the DIY home improvements that might make a negative impression on buyers, and potentially make it harder to sell your home?
A recent article from realtor.com outlined some of the DIY projects that can come back to haunt you if and when you decide to sell, including:
Converting your garage into additional living space. While it might … (2 comments)

teamsapphire: Buyers Can Finally Buy a House for Less than List Price (But Savvy Buyers Know When to Still Offer over Asking…) - 09/26/22 11:13 AM

If you’re hoping to buy a home, you’ll be happy to hear that the average sale-to-list price has recently dropped below 100% for the first time since March 2021, according to this Money article. In other words, houses aren’t all selling for over asking price anymore, and you can negotiate a lower price than the owner is asking.
That’s welcome news, and a silver lining to buyers who waited (or weren’t able) to buy a house in the recent market frenzy. While mortgage rates are higher, at least now you’re more able to successfully compete for a house, and even negotiate the price.
But … (0 comments)

teamsapphire: If Your Buyer Makes Home Inspection Requests, You Might Not Want to Say No Right Now - 09/26/22 11:09 AM

It’s an industry joke that some buyers request the seller to repair even the most minor issue found on a home inspection, like a leaky faucet for example. But over the past couple of years, most sellers could list their house and it would quickly sell for over asking price — and buyers would often waive the home inspection — so sellers wouldn’t have to worry about that at all. Even if the buyers did have an inspection, sellers could easily reply with a firm no, and the buyers would be fine with it.
So if you’re about to put your house … (2 comments)

teamsapphire: Don’t Give Up on Buying a Home if You’re a Millennial Renter - 09/26/22 10:58 AM

Almost 25% of Millennials (ages 26-41) claim they plan on renting forever according to this Apartment List article. That’s nearly double the amount since they started their ongoing survey of 31,000 Millennials in 2018.
In the grand scheme of things, 1 in 4 Millennials swearing off homeownership forever isn’t earth-shattering news. To put things in perspective, the highest rate of homeownership ever was 80% in North Dakota back in 1900. But generally speaking, the homeownership rate has hovered in the 65% range nationally for almost 5 decades. Some people will always be renters; homeownership isn’t for everyone.
There are four main reasons they give for not buying:
They … (1 comments)